Only Human
by Mira Spiegel
Summary: Post Existence: Alex made sure he would survive Skinner's fatal shot because he had some unfinished business, business that just might save mankind when the Colonists come back in 2012. Krycek/OC, Skinner/OC


**X-Files: Only Human**

**Prologue**

_December 22, 2012_

_2:06 pm, eastern standard time_

Something exploded over the bow of the craft, the control panel vibrating under her hands. The sky was filled with them, the Colonist's invading forces in their sleek black alien ships. The resistance only had twenty-seven battered, second rate crafts that they had armed with the help of the alien rebels and coaxed to fly, defending hot spots that were set to be invasion beacons. Her co-pilot reached over and switched off the open communications channel that was buzzing with chaotic chatter.

"Everything still functional, Kira?"

She glanced down at the odd characters that were not of the Earth's origin. She was the only human who understood them. "All systems are still fully operational. I think that was their warning shot, Fox."

Fox Mulder squinted out the large window in front of them. "That was a very serious warning."

"Dana contact us?"

He nodded, his eyes still on the group of four ships hovering silently in front of them. "Gibson, Lily, William and Irina are all safe and sound."

Kira reached for the comm switch but Fox gave her a crooked grin. "And Alex already knows."

"Thanks." Kira poised her hands over the switches and buttons that would arm the craft. They would have to be quick about their attack. "I'm ready when you are."

Fox hit the craft's comm system. "Everything ready to go down there, Jeff?"

Jeffery Spender's voice carried through the cockpit, bouncing off the metallic walls. "Engines are ready for whatever you're going to throw at them. Weapons are locked and loaded."

Kira allowed herself a smug grin. "Who would have thought that the three of us, all children of the Smoking Man, would be on the front lines undoing his entire life's work?"

"Who would have thought that we would have achieved alliances with the Russian and Asian Syndicates?" Fox gave her another grin. "And who would have thought that the pilot and co-pilot of the craft defending the underground base in Alaska would be Walter Skinner and Alex Krycek?"

Kira double checked all the settings in front of her. The weapons were charged and ready. She would do the shooting while Fox did the flying. "If you told me that eight years ago, I wouldn't have believed you."

"Me neither." All tense humor dropped from his face. "I'm glad it did happen though."

Kira gave him a bright smile. "Me too."

Fox settled himself in the chair and carefully wrapped his hands around the flight controls. "I'm ready to send these guys a less than peaceful message welcoming them to our planet if you are?"

"Ready to go on three." Kira pressed her fingers into the weapon control grooves. "One…"

"Let's see how fast we can get this done…"

"Two…"

"I have a poker game tonight with the boys."

Kira stifled a laugh. "Three."

The ship hummed to life under her hands and the fight for mankind's freedom was underway.

* * *

The whole craft tilted to the side, groaning under the onslaught of weapon fire. Walter Skinner and Alex Krycek gripped the side of the consoles in an effort to keep themselves upright in the pilot and co-pilot chairs. Finally, the ship righted itself.

"Sorry about that," John Doggett's voice crackled over the open comm. "Their first shot nailed our stabilizers but they're fixed now."

"Keep it up, John," Walter shouted as he gripped the flight controls until his knuckles went white.

"What about the weapons?" Alex asked.

"Up and running," came John's response. "Blow 'em to hell, Alex."

"That's the plan," Alex muttered. There were six crafts that were running bombing strikes on the snow below them, a futile attempt to get at the human survivors in the underground bunker. At least, that was what Alex kept telling himself. He had to believe that they were safe, all of them. Gibson, William and Irina…humankind's last best hope against the alien invaders. All they had to do was send this fleet running, buy a few more years time for the kids to grow into the saviors they were predicted to be and the running and fighting could stop.

He fired up the weapons and fit his hands into the grooves. The sun was shining and the glare off of the snow, even with the filters on, was too much for his eyes. He focused on the display screen in front of him and waited until one of the bombers flew into the targeted area. He squeezed the levers and was rewarded with a fireball above the Alaskan snow. But the ship underneath him rocked wildly and he looked up to see debris pelting their craft.

Walter was grunting with effort, trying to miss the larger pieces of metal. "Next time, you think you can hit a ship that's not quite that close to us?"

Alex supressed a grin. "You want these things down or what?"

"If 'or what' means surving this flight in one piece, I'll go with that choice."

Alex looked down at the monitor again. "There's a craft just hovering, not moving at all, at three o'clock. It looks close enough to be over the bunker entrance."

The craft swung around easily, making half a revolution and Alex watched as the erriely still craft just hung there, unmoving. He locked onto it and fired, realizing why it was just sitting there. The blast bounced harmlessly off the shields protecting the ship.

"I hate to say this, Walter, but it looks like we need to get close to these things in order to break through their shields."

John's voice crackled through the cockpit. "I can help with boosting up the power on the weapons. We're not running so I can divert some of the engine power into the weapons system." Judging from the grunts and muffled curses, it sounded like he was already doing it. Fifteen seconds later, John came back on. "Ready to go, guys."

Walter flew slightly closer to the stationary craft and Alex tried again with the suped upped weaponary. They were all rewarded with another explosion of metallic debris. Two down, four more to go. The ship shifted underneath them again.

"John?" Walter called.

"Yeah," John repsonded, "had to divert some power from the shields to the stabilizers but they should still hold. It may be bumpy though."

"Shields are still holding but not at full strength," Alex confirmed. "It's enough to deflect the shots as long as they don't get too close."

Walter relaxed his grip slightly on the controls and stretched his fingers before returning to the tight fisted hold. "We're going to have to play chicken with them."

"Looks that way." Alex glanced over at Walter, who was looking for an opening in the line of the Colonist's defenses. "Well, hurry it up, Walt. I don't want to be late for the poker game with Mulder tonight."

***

Dana Scully ducked reflexively, pulling William and Irina towards her, as the concrete bunker surrounding them shook from the ground level battle. William, being the typical twelve year old boy, didn't want protection from his mother but Irina, who was only six, was more than happy to cling to Dana.

"Everything's going to be fine."

Dana looked up to see the dark haired Lily standing next to her, her sightless eyes strangely zeroed in on her. She was a self proclaimed clairvoyant who had yet to be wrong. "You know that for certain?"

Lily smiled. "You can believe in so much and yet having faith in the people you love doesn't come easily to you, does it?"

Dana brushed some of William's reddish-brown hair off his forehead and left her hand on his head. "We're so close to having this be over. I guess I'm just scared that something's going to happen at the last minute…"

"Which is why I'm here." She smiled easily, her colorless eyes crinkling at the corners. "Gibson has informed me that Walter and Alex are doing the best they can and are very confident in finishing off the crafts that are threatening us. He said that Alex is worried though."

"I told you not to tell anyone that," Gibson Praise came to stand by his caregiver and friend. Dana had watched him grow from a child to a tall, strong nineteen year old now. "Alex'll kill me if he found out I picked up that train of thought."

Dana couldn't help herself. "What train of thought?"

Gibson looked utterly cornered but Lily was serene as always. "It's alright, Gibson."

"He's worried about what he's going to do when the fighting is over and he doesn't have to run anymore."

Dana glanced down at Irina, meeting the little girl's bright green eyes, her father's eyes. "He lives his life, just like the rest of us."

Gibson shrugged and pushed his glasses up his nose as the ground shook beneath them again. Dana watched Gibson look to Lily for an update. The blind woman rubbed her arms to fight off the chill of the cold bunker.

"It's all going to end to fine," Lily said with her easy going smile. "We'll all be able to celebrate Christmas together this year. And," she lowered her voice, "don't tell him this, but Walter is going to win the poker game tonight."


End file.
